The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-06-03


It looks picturesque and beautiful to
see a war vessel going out through the
Narrows, sailors in new rig singing:
a life on the ocean wave.
A home on the rolling deepi
the colors gracefully dipping to passing
ships, the decks Immediately clean, and
the guns at quarantine firing parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out of
that ship as it comes out of that engage
ment, it's decks red with human blood,
wheel-house gone, the cabin q pile of
shattered mirrors and des stroyed furni-
ture, steering wheel broken, smolze-stac
crushed, one-hundred- pound Whitworth
rifle shot having left its mark from port to
starboard, the shrouds rent away, ladders
splintered and decks plowed up, and
smoke blackened and s5alded corpses
lying among those who are gasping their
last gasp, far away from home and kim
dred, whom they love as much as we love
wife and parents and children. Not wait
ing until you are dead to put upon your
graves a wreath of recognition, this hour
we put on your living brow the garland
of nations praise.
o, men of the Western Gulf squadron,
of the Eastern Gulf squadron, of the
South Atlantic squadron, of the North
Atlantic squadron, of the West India
squadron and of the Potomac fotilla, hear
our thanks Take the benediction Of our
churches. Accept the hospitalities of the
nation. If we had our way we would get
you not only pension, but home and a
princely wardrobe, and an equipage and
a banquet while you live, and after your
departure catafalq ue, and mausoleum
of sculptured marble, with model of the
ship IN which you won the day. 1t is con-
sidered a gallant thing when in a naval
fight the flagship, with its blue ensign,
goes ahead up a river or into bay its
Admiral standing IN the shrouds watchin
and giving orders. But l have to tell you,
o veterans of the American navy, if you
are as loyal to Christ as you were to
the Government there is a flagship sail
ing ahead of you of which Christ IS the
Admiral, and he watches from the
shrouds, and the heavens are the blue
ensign, and he leads you toward the har-
Dor, and all the broad-sides of earth and
hell can not damage you, and ye, whose
garments were once red with your own
blood shall have robe washed and made
white in the blood of the Lamb Then
strike eight bellsI High noon in heaven !
With such anticipation, o veterans of
the American navy! 1 charge you bear
up under the aches and weaknesses that
you still carry from the war times. You
are not as stalwart as you would have
been but for that nervous strain and for
that terrible exposure. Let every ache
and pain, instead of depressing, remind
you of your fidelity. The sinking Of the
Weehawken of Morris Island, December
6, 1868, was mystery She was not under
fire. The sea was not rough. But Ad-
miral Dahlgren, from the deck Of the flag
steamer Philadelphia, saw her gradually
sinking, and finally she struck the ground,
but the flag still f1oated above the waves
IN the sight of the shipping. 1t was after
ward found that she sank from weakness
| through injuries received in previous
4 o4
loose IN previous times. So you have in
nerve, and muscle, and bone, and dimmed
eyesight, and difficult hearing and short
ness of breath many intimations that you
are gradually going down. 1t is the
service of twenty-three years ago that is
telling on you. BE OF good cheer, We
owe you just as much as though your life
blood had gurgled through the scuppers
of the ship in the Red River expedition, or
as though you had gone down with the
Melville off Hatteras Only keep your
flag flying as did the inustrious Wee
kawken.
Good cheer, my boysl The memory of
man is poor, and all that talk about the
country never forgetting those who
fought for it is an untruth. 1t does for
get. Witness how the veterans some
tunes had to turnethe hand-organs on the
street to get their families living. Wit
ness how ruthless Y some of them have
been turned out of Office that some bloat
of politician might take their place.
Witness the fact that there not man
or woman now under thirty years Of age
who has any fun appreciation of the four
years. martyrdom of 1861 to 1865 inclu-
sive. But while men may forget, God
! never forgets. He remembers the swing
ing hammock. He remembers the fore
castle. He remembers the frozen ropes
of that January tempest. He remembers
the amputation without sufficient ether.
He remembers the horrors Of that
deafening night when forts from both
sides belched on you their fury, and the
heavens glowed with the ascend
ing and descending missiles of death,
and your ship quaked under the re-
coil of the 10O-pounder, while all
the gunners, according to command, stood
on tiptoe with mouth wide open lest the
| concussion shatter hearing or brain. He
remembers it ali better than you remem-
Der it, and in some shape reward will be
given. God is the best Of all paymasters,
and for those who do their whole duty to
Him and the world the pension awarded
is an everlasting Heaven.
Sometimes of the coast Of En- gland the
royal family have inspected the British
navy, maneuvered before them for that
purpose. In the Baltic sea the Gar
and Czarina have reviewed the Rus
| American peopie the debt they owe 10
| the navy, go out with you on the At.
! Iantic ocean, where there is plenty Of
| room, and in imagination review the war
shipping of our three great conflicts
1776 1912 and 1868. Swing into line all We
| frigates, iron-clads, hre-rafts, gunboats
| and men-of- war There they come, all
! sail set and all furaacc3 in full blast,
! sheaves Of crystal tossing rom their cut
| ting prows That IS the Delaware, an old
| revolutionary craft commanded by Com
/ modore Decatur. Yonder goes the Con
/ stitution, Commodore Hull com manding.
| There is the Chesapeake, commanded by
| Captain Lawrence, whose dying words
/ were: ''Don't give up the ship" and the
/ Niagara, of 1872 commanded by CommO-
dore Perry, VINO wrote on the back OF an
] old letter, resting on his navy cap: eve
! have met the enemy, and they are ours.
/ Youder is the flagship Wabash, Admir-
! al Dupont commanding; yonder the flag
! ship Minnesota, Adm raj Colds borough
commanding; yondsr the hagship Phila-
delphia, Admiral Dahlgren com manding
/ yonder the flagship San JacintO, Admiral
/ Bailey commandiu g; yOnder the flagship
/ Black Hawk Admiral Porter command
\ ing; yonder the flag steamer Benton, Ad-
miral Foote commanding; yonder the
/ flagship Hartford, David GlascCe Farra-
| gut com manding. And now all the squad
rons Of all departments, from smallest
I tug boat to mightest man Of war, are in
| procession; decks and rigging filed with
4 the men who fought the sea for the
/ old flag ever since we were "A nation.
/ Grandest Fl eet the world ever saw. Sail
1 on before all ages Run up all the coIors
/ Ring all ths bells. Yea, open all the
/ port-hoIesi Unlim Der the guns and load
and fire one great broadside that shall
shake the continents in honor Of peace
| and the eternity Of the American Union